You Found Me
by J. Kylie
Summary: "People who are meant to be together will always find a way in the end." Steve/Catherine. Multi-Chapter Tag to 4.21.


**Hawaii 5-0 **

**Nothing Changes**

**Chapter One**

**15 May 2014**

**Author's Note: **This was a personal favor from someone who asked me to write this for them! I loved the idea that they had pitched, and so I decided why not? It's going to be a short story, Seven Chapters and an Epilogue! Each chapter will be posted everyday, and they're all prewritten.

Don't forget to read my other story, _Chasing After You_! You don't need to read that one first in order to know this one. Each of these stories are in different worlds, and this one is a follow-up to Season 4 Episode 21 (AKA Catherine's goodbye).

**Disclaimer: **All rights reserved for CBS.

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_**A month later.. McGarrett Home – 0600 h**_

It has been exactly a month since Steve had gotten home from Afghanistan. For God's sake, it had been the longest month of his life. From the night he got home, he hasn't been able to have a good night's sleep. He was missing her presence, her smile, and her laughter whenever a joke was told or simply chuckling at his antics. He went back to leading the governor's task force after his arm had healed and all those wounds were closed after his beating from a Taliban group. To be quite honest, it wasn't his intention to go back to work after one hell of a trip to Afghanistan. He wanted to resign and return to the Navy, but he knew that if he did that, he would have left a group of people without a job. The only reason they had a job was because he accepted the governor's offer to lead this task force. Plus, he couldn't leave the group in Danny's hands. He loved Danny yes, and although his own methods were a bit unorthodox, he still had the better training. He also got reprimanded by a Captain, the commanding officer who had led the joint mission with the Navy SEALs and Army Rangers just to save his ass. He was grateful for that, but he was very close to getting discharged from the Navy. He wasn't willing to risk his career, but he did it because he loved her. He would do anything for her, _even _if it meant getting kicked out of the Navy and his life worth of career taken away from him. That's how much Catherine had meant to him, he did in fact admit those three words he knew she had been longing to hear for the past five year's.

After lying down in silence for a few minutes, Steve finally gathered the courage to get out of the bed and get ready for another day at work. It had been him constantly in the office ever since coming home alone, he was stressed, physically and mentally tired. Picking up cases that were not even in their jurisdiction, but just wanting to pass time until she actually came home. He threw together work attire, and took a Navy shower. After taking a quick shower, he got changed, and hopped into his Silverado. He arrived at the palace within minutes, and walked into their area. He saw the faces of his Ohana, and the newest member, Captain Grover – ex SWAT team commanding officer. The four of them had given Lou Grover a warm welcome into his task force.

"Do we have a case yet?" Steve asked, looking at his team. He threw on a pair of khaki colored cargo pants, a t shirt, a button up, and his combat boots – the usual attire for the commander. He honestly didn't care for what he looked like, just as long he caught the criminals, he was satisfied.

"No, but how are you holding up, boss?" Kono replied.

"Fine. I don't want to talk about it." Steve said nonchalantly. He hated being asked that question, he was constantly being asked that every single damn day he walked into the office. He was _not _fine, in fact, he was horrible. He felt like shit, and just wanted to revert to SEAL mode and close up the pool of emotions he was feeling eversince he got home. He actually considered do that, and today was gonna be the start of it. He was tired of being asked on how he was doing, and just wanted to bring back the SEAL side of him. The side where he was dangerous, off-limits, and a burning wire – someone you do not want to touch.

Kono frowned slightly, and nodded in understanding. He gave her a reassuring look, and the others had told her to drop the subject, and just carry on. Steve placed his hands onto the smart table, and looked at his team members.

"So, until we get a case, I want everyone finishing those reports from the last case. The governor wants it by the end of today." He ordered. Yup, this was the hard as a rock side. He saw Danny give him the look, the_ "what the fuck is wrong with you?" _look. Steve just looked at him, and didn't give any sign of emotion. They all scrambled to their personal quarters, as he walked into his. He sat as his desk, and took a look around his office. Various medallions from active duty days as Intelligence to his current positition as a reserve SEAL. He looked at his father's flag that was placed into a case to protect it, and he looked at the one picture that had been taken years ago. The picture of him and Catherine, he was in his dress whites and she was in a beautiful gown. The picture was taken at a military ball, while the men wore their dress whites, the women officers could dress as they please. She looked so beautiful, her hair in loose curls, his arms placed around her waist, and her head tilted looking up at him, it was a perfect picture. He had asked for a copy for the picture, and once he got it, he immediately had it framed. He picked up the frame, and fingered the picture slightly, tears about to fall from his eyes. He set it back down, and opened up his laptop. He logged in, and started typing up the incident report from yesterday's case, interrupted by a rapping on his door, he told the person to come in.

"Hey, Steve! What the hell is wrong with you?" His partner, Danny, had walked in, once again complaining about his odd behavior.

"Nothing." Steve didn't even bother looking up at his partner, he just continued to type on his computer.

"What! That is not answer, Steve! You've been putting up an act since you came home. Do you know how we all feel? We're all just worried about you!" Danny ranted on, taking a seat on his couch. Steve continued to ignore him, and took a sip from his coffee.

"Okay, I get it.." Danny paused, then continued, "You're just gonna pretend to shut me out. If you're gonna act like that, then I will keep rambling on, until you say something."

"You look like hell, SuperSEAL. You look like you haven't received any sleep since you got back. You know what's a great idea?" He waited for his partner's answer, but hasn't received any form of communication.

"How 'bout I treat you to a night at the bar, huh?"

"No answer?"

"This is about Catherine, isn't it?" Steve finally stopped typing, and took a look at Danny. He nodded in silence, and continued to let Danny talk.

"Steve, I hate to say this, but maybe it's time for you to move on, you know?"

"Danny.. you don't get it do you?" Danny gave him a confused look, something he didn't quite understand.

"She's been it for 7 years. I just never admitted that I loved her so much until she slipped out of my hands. I gave up too quick, Danno. I should have went after her, I should have gotten on that plane back to Afghanistan." At this point, his voice was cracking. To Danny, this was the first time he has seen his partner at a breaking point.

Steve paused for effect, and continued, "I let her get away too easily. Now, I don't even know if she's alive! I have no resources or Intel that has given me the reason to believe she's safe."

"I want her back, Danny. I want her back in my arms again. To hold, comfort, and give her the belief that I will never leave her."

"Steve, you barely even know if she's alive!"

"I have the reason to believe she's alive, Danny!" Steve was about ready to punch a hole into the wall.

"Her family needs her! Did you know how hard it was for me to tell her father that his only daughter is MIA? That the only reason that the Admiral didn't court martial me was because I was with her! Have you ever thought of her family? Huh? They're worried! They know Catherine could handle herself, but she's in _Afghanistan_."

"I'm sorry man, I didn't know.."

"Better be damn sorry. It was hard as hell, Danny. You don't know how much pain rang in the Admiral's voice when I told him that Catherine was alone in Afghanistan!" At this point, Steve was yelling and his tone of leadership had been applied, and it sort of made Danny take a few steps back.

"He asked WHY I wasn't with her! He asked why I didn't go after her! I told him the truth, the CIA and a Navy official had almost ripped me away from my career! He was distraught but, at the same time, glad as well! You know why?" Danny shook his head.

"Because I was his daughter's boyfriend! He trusted me. He even had the heard to take a look at my files, and everything that regarded my career in the Navy and the SEALs. Because he thought of me as his own son! Because he liked the fact that his daughter was seeing a Navy man. Of course he wasn't too pleased at first, but he got used to me after I stuck around for almost eight years." Steve admitted. This was all true, Admiral James Rollins had said this to him after Steve had informed him about the failed rescue operation.

Danny nodded at the given confession that Steve had said, and let the first admission slip out of his mouth. "Then go find her, SuperSEAL."

Steve nodded, it has been a month. He had received no confirmation from her or the Navy on her whereabouts. This gave him the fighting spirit to look for her, and even if the military finds out, they should be glad that he brought home a veteran alive and safe. This no longer regards the fact that he might get his career taken away, but he will use every contact that he has to make sure he or she doesn't get their career taken away from them. He's willing to break a few rules, and he knew just the right people.

"One major problem, Danny... how?" Steve asked. He pulled up a list of people that could potentially help him on his rescue mission.

"Grab one of your SEAL buddies, or something. I don't know, you do what's best for you. And for which reason, do I support this? I have no clue. I just know that it will be successful."

"Operation: Find Catherine, has commenced." Steve said. From afar, you could tell that this mission could go in different directions. One, he could get killed. Two, Catherine's already dead. Three, he could get reprimanded and kicked out of the Navy. Four, he could get captured by the Taliban again. Five, and the most plausible reason, they both come home safely. And that's the direction Steve is looking forward to. Chin popped into the doorway of his office, and informed them that they had a case.

_**McGarrett home – end of case – 2100 h**_

Steve came home after a long and exhausting day of completing another special case. The case they received had hit home. It was the murder of a Marine, and of course Steve had been affected by it. Every military related case they got had always hit him hard in the chest. The Marine was a veteran staying at a hospital for care, Corporal Reddins was a man of many. He unfortunately lost an arm after a convoy bombing in Iraq a year ago, and after recovering from the incident, he was released from the hospital, but didn't last very long in the civilian world. The Marine was found dead in his home, and the suspect was targeting Reddins since the bombing. Steve used all resources to find the killer and bring justice to the fallen Marine, and in the end of the day, they had and booked the suspect for life. Upon that news, he informed the family of the Marine, and had courteously invited him to his funeral that was being held the next day.

Sitting down in a chair on his lanai, Steve looked at the sunset that was gazing upon his private beach. He took a case of longboard's from his fridge, and popped the bottles for himself. It was nights like this had he missed Catherine's presence. After a long day of work, the both of them had always found each other lounging on the lanai, and enjoying each others company. He took the bottle and let the liquor flow down his throat, and take in the view that he was being given. It was too quiet for Steve's liking, and he just wished he could hear her voice again. A tradition of theirs had always been them on the lanai, and after the sunset, they'd make their way to their bedroom. Ever he got back from Afghanistan, he never put Catherine's clothes away. He left them all in place, and made sure that none of her things had disappeared. He made sure that her Corvette was still in their garage, and never moved an inch since Catherine left. Her keys still in the key holder in the living room next to his Silverado's. Every night, he would smell Catherine's pillow, and the distinctive perfume of Vanilla had always been inscribed into it. It felt like she was still there lying next to him. Her various sweatshirts in his clothing drawer, more like _his _article of clothing, still smelled like her. He would never forget the day he had finally said the three words.

That conversation had taken place the night he got back into Hawaii. He was exhausted, tired, and sore, but then he got a call from an unknown number. He decided to pick it up, and there it was – her sweet voice. She told him that she was not coming home until she had found Najib. Being the protective boyfriend he was, he suggested that he flew back to Afghanistan and they'd finish the mission together. Of course, being Catherine, she declined. They both knew that it would be safer for her to do it alone, he just did not want to admit it. He was very close to catching a flight back, but she stopped him. Upon hearing the news, it broke his heart. He finally said the words that he has been wanting to say for the longest time. He finally confessed his love for her, and she gladly returned the feelings. He knew the situation all too well though. If the situation had been reversed, they both knew the answer. If he had been the one in Afghanistan, he knew he wasn't coming home until the mission was done and successful. That's how it was, they put others first before their selves. It had always been like that, it reminded him of the time she had gone with him to bring Freddie home. The situation had all been too well, except only he came home. He grabbed his cellphone from his pocket, and the dialed the number he memorized from the beginning of his Naval career. He put the phone to his ear, and waited for the person to pick up.

"Administration of Naval Pacific Fleet, this is Lieutenant Watson, how may I help you?" The women said on the other line.

"Could you please connect me to the office of Admiral James Rollins?" He asked.

"Sir, please state your credentials."

"Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett office of Navy Intelligence and member of SEAL Team Two."

"Thank you, sir. Please hold while I connect you to Admiral Rollins." After a few moments of silence, the voice he hasn't spoke to in a few weeks, had answered in a heavy tone.

"McGarrett...what can I do for you?"

"I have a favor..."

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**Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it and please leave a review! **

**Mahalo.**


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